There are many applications in the field of orthopaedics for medical devices used in surgical procedures, wherein there is a requirement to anchor at least a section of a cord (e.g., a tape or a surgical suture) within a bone bore hole. A solid and secure attachment between the cord and anchoring components of anchor devices is essential to the success of the device. Such conventional devices include vertebral straps, suture anchors, and suture staples.
Conventionally known methods for attaching or securing cords to anchoring components include insert molding, passing the cords through eyelets or small holes in the anchoring components, compressing the cord between surfaces of the device, etc. Although generally satisfactory for their intended purpose, there may be certain disadvantages attendant with the use of such attachment methods. For example, a disadvantage of the insert molding method may be low pull-out strength of the cord from the anchoring component. This is believed to be caused by the difficulty in general, conventional compression molding processes to form a secure attachment between the cord and anchoring components. When using an eyelet or small hole, the hole or the eyelet are related to the removal or absence of material from the anchoring component which may, in some cases, result in mechanical strength lost, or it may be difficult or not possible to place a hole or an eyelet in or on the anchoring component due to a low profile configuration or limited space.
Accordingly, there is a need in this art for novel medical devices for use in tissue fixation, wherein the devices have a flexible cord attached.